Coronado BF30 substitute, rust, some help needed

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schoppy
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Coronado BF30 substitute, rust, some help needed

Post by schoppy »

Hi folks,

I am new in this chat but not new to solar observation at all. I bought several Coronado products in 2004 (MaxScope 40) , 2006 (PST) and 2007 (Solarmax 90 with BF30). All products were bought at OPT, CA.

My MaxScope 40 is used often and is still working like the first day, no rust problems at all!
My Solarmax 90 and BF30 are not used very often but now the BF30 starts to rust (I saw it when I build up the staff for the Mercury transit) and I am looking for a solution. I use the Solarmax 90 with BF30 on a Televue 102iis also with Bino (from Baader)so I like a brighter picture. I know that I could send the rusted BF30 to Bresser (Meade) in Germany to get a new one but I am looking for other solutions (and willing to pay some money) because I read that the new one from Bresser will have a darker output than the old one and rust will be still a problem in the future.

I browsed a lot of cases here in this chat and I know that there are several solution but the information is very scattered in all that different cases.
I found in one case of 2014 (http://solarchat.natca.net/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=12425) the following from Mark:
"To remove the front element of the BF10 there is just a retaining ring that unscrews, a lens spanner will do the job easily.
Maier Photonics do a replacement ITF for the PST here http://maierphotonics.com/656bandpassfilter.aspx which is 100% safe for visual. If you want to use this as a replacement in the BFxx you will need to use a Baader Ha also. Used with a PST mod (with Baader D-ERF) it will work as the D-ERF has excellent out of band blocking on the long and short sides of 656nm.
Alternatively if imaging is your main thing you can use a baader Ha filter (7nm or 35nm), if you wanted to do this visually too a piece of AR coated KG3 used in conjunction with the Baader will block out to >2500nm which is visual safe too."
Another answer in this case is:
"I replaced my rusted BF10 with a Baader 35nm + an IV/IR filter.
It works fine as far as imaging is concerned."
So instead the whole BF30 for imaging I need just a baader HA and IV/IR filter and for visual an additional KG3 ?

Thanks

Joerg

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Re: Coronado BF30 substitute, rust, some help needed

Post by marktownley »

The solutions above will work but they replace only the ITF filter in the blocking filter, not the blocking filter as a whole.


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Re: Coronado BF30 substitute, rust, some help needed

Post by Montana »

A very warm welcome :hamster:

Like Mark said, the blocking filter itself is essential as it selects the H alpha line from the etalon, you must use this, but you can replace the other components that are in it if you know what you are doing. Don't risk your eyes.

Alexandra


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Re: Coronado BF30 substitute, rust, some help needed

Post by LTHB »

I can recommend the ITF replacement filter from Beloptic - IF you can wait for about a year, as Oliver Smie is doing a long bicycle tour; see

http://beloptik.de/de/left/itf-ersatzfi ... ronado-bf/

http://beloptik.de/de/top/startseite/

Regards,

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Re: Coronado BF30 substitute, rust, some help needed

Post by Merlin66 »

As Mark says, the Maier ITF or the Baader 35nm (No UV-IR required) are good replacements for the front element of the blocking filter.


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Re: Coronado BF30 substitute, rust, some help needed

Post by Solar B »

I have found the Maier Photonics ITF replacement to be very good and much
brighter than the existing Coronado ITFs on a 5 & 10mm BF

Brian


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Re: Coronado BF30 substitute, rust, some help needed

Post by Bob Yoesle »

...just a baader HA and IV/IR filter and for visual an additional KG3 ?
See: http://solarchat.natca.net/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=14783

A KG 3 or 5 ITF replacement would suppress IR much father into the IR than the Baader 35 nm, similar to what an ITF accomplishes. An RG630 filter would also be needed if not located elsewhere, but the SM90 has this element if you're using the original ERF...


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Re: Coronado BF30 substitute, rust, some help needed

Post by AwesomeLenny »

Hello all,

I too have successfully repaired rusted Coronado BF10 ITF filter as well as a BF15 with the ITF's from Maier Photonics as well. I am presently in touch with Chris there on whether they also make replacement ITF for a BF30 which I also own.

Len


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Re: Coronado BF30 substitute, rust, some help needed

Post by schoppy »

LTHB wrote:I can recommend the ITF replacement filter from Beloptic - IF you can wait for about a year, as Oliver Smie is doing a long bicycle tour; see

http://beloptik.de/de/left/itf-ersatzfi ... ronado-bf/

http://beloptik.de/de/top/startseite/

Regards,

Frank
Even if I wait for another year I still have to wait if Oliver Smie will sale this replacement to the public. On his website is only written that you can buy this filter at Bresser. I had a talk on the Astro-Messe in Essen with Bresser and afterwards I got a mail that they don't do this any more. I should contact Meade Germany. I contacted them and they told me that I could send it to Meade Mexico...hahaha...:-)


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Re: Coronado BF30 substitute, rust, some help needed

Post by schoppy »

Bob Yoesle wrote:
...just a baader HA and IV/IR filter and for visual an additional KG3 ?
See: http://solarchat.natca.net/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=14783

A KG 3 or 5 ITF replacement would suppress IR much father into the IR than the Baader 35 nm, similar to what an ITF accomplishes. An RG630 filter would also be needed if not located elsewhere, but the SM90 has this element if you're using the original ERF...
I managed to get the last KG3 from Beloptik as a 2 inch Filter from an Austrian Shop ! Your filter journey is very impressive and interesting but still somehow confusing to me. So with an original SM90 and the KG3 + backpart of the original BF30 I still need an RG630 or Baader H-Alpha (7 or 35nm) ?


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Re: Coronado BF30 substitute, rust, some help needed

Post by marktownley »

Yes


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